During microscopic lumbar laminectomy surgical procedures, it is usually necessary to open up the interspace between the lamina, so as to allow the surgical procedure to be performed with a minimum of bone excision. Lamina spreaders are known to the art, but the prior art surgical procedures require extensive dissection and complete removal of the supraspinous ligament in order to position the spreader, and the spreaders have a tendency to slip out of the wound.
In the practice of the process of the present invention an interspinous punch is used to punch a hole in the supraspinous ligament through which the spreader is inserted. Accordingly, the supraspinous ligament remains intact, and this serves to stabilize the spine. Moreover, since the spreader is inserted through the hole in the ligament, the ligament serves to hold the spreader in place and to prevent it from slipping out of the wound.
The lamina spreader serves to spread out the lamina and enables the surgeon to enter the interlaminal area with minimal removal of bone. The lamina spreader used in the process of the invention is curved to keep it out of the way of the microscope and of the surgeon during the surgical procedure.